If Only
by Be-ya
Summary: /RyoSaku/AU/ She was tired of hearing the success and perfection of others, she wanted to hear hers too. But later she realized that having everything isn't always the most wonderful thing to have./HIATUS/
1. Her Wish

**A/N: **

Despite the fact that the changes will only seen at the end of this chapter, said changes will cause the major plot shift to make it more plausible and clear. I figured that the story's original version will just imitate "Just My Luck's" plot. So yeah…thanks to astraldrop11 for the very wonderful idea :)

I will definitely update the second installment as soon as I get to finish the fifth chapter of Contrasting Parallels.

Comments are lovely.

**Warning: **Rated-PG. The story is set in **A**lternate **U**niverse.

**0.0**

**Chapter 1: Her Wish**

He had everything and she had nothing.

The prince, unfortunately, was the luckiest insufferable brat in the whole world. _The Jerk_ but ironically had been dreaded hot and handsome by a great deal of woman specie. Echizen Ryoma was the tennis prodigy who championed and dumbstruck the whole world with his tennis skills and undeniably good looks. Just one smirk and you would fall on your knees. Hadn't she been hearing the same perfection like forever?

The saddest part was to know that she too had been one of the 'superlatives', in her way at least. She had been the clumsiest and even the most wretched woman on the face of the earth. She was hopeless. And to top it off, she was kicked out from her job from all the problems that she had given the company. Define ineptness, it _is_ Ryuuzaki Sakuno.

Of course there was no way that she could call it an impasse. That she was born to be doomed and that fate hated her. She only wished for another chance and yet her luck wasn't working.

"B-But still, why me?" she asked almost whining, taking another swig of whiskey. "I did my best but I was expelled?"

"You tripped over one of the investors with a hot coffee, broke four table glasses _plus_ thirteen goblets and a photocopy machine?" Tomoka enumerated, shock written all over her face.

Sakuno shrugged, "I said I was sorry," she defended. "And…they deducted everything in my salary. I-I don't see the point."

And no matter how honest, faithful and hardworking she was, she would still lose her job. How life could be so rude was just beyond her.

**0.0**

Echizen Ryoma sat on the blue velvet sofa inside of his glorious presidential suite. Life couldn't get better than it was for him. He practically had everything— fame, girls, glory, looks and tons of money— though he hadn't been the best person in the whole world. He abused his endorsers, caused pain to women and used his good looks to entice them for temporal pleasures not to mention all the gambling that he was involved.

Virtually, he exploited everything he had.

However, things kept coming. They just needed him; his name and his skills. He was everybody's icon, exalted even if beyond evil and no one could tell if it was going to ever stop soon.

"Sir," his beautiful secretary— and fourth girlfriend for the month of April— called in a soft voice. "Hanari-san wants to talk to you," her tone altered into disgust at the sound of the name.

Hanari Keiko, his ex-secretary slash ex-lover had been quite tough on keeping their relationship longer. She had been so desperate…so eager, so clingy so possessive and irredeemable. He wouldn't say she wasn't attractive, but her beauty was a mere material to cover up her slut nature. And that he must note that it wasn't seducing him anymore. She was a kind of person who would destroy the image of women's generation just to have one more night with him.

He shrugged; the woman in front of him was not in the least unusual, "Do you want me to tell her that you have _more important_ things to attend to?" she said suggestively.

So addictive and lustful.

"Why yes," he replied and grabbed her waist.

She sat excitingly on the prince's lap and smiled expectantly, knowing what was about to happen tonight. She instantaneously wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes full of pleasure and desire, as if a predator that was hungry to devour its prey.

And the rest was history.

**0.0**

Sakuno lie on the bed restlessly. The job was very important to her. It was her bread and butter. And death wasn't exactly very welcome at the very moment. But even after countless pleas, she guessed they wouldn't consider.

Absurdly, she even thought that promotion would be her best present for this year but fate was really rough on her. The company wouldn't even give her a chance to prove that she was worth the work and instead of the promotion she was anticipating, it was dismissal that had occurred upon her.

It was tiring, dearly, to be born good but nonetheless unprivileged.

If only she could have everything.

Job…Love…Money…_Peace…_

If only wishes were made to be bought she would be willing to trade her everything altogether.

_If only…_

She continued to reckon on the possibilities until she drifted off to Dreamland.

**0.0**

Sakuno squirmed, feeling the hot and sunny morning seep through her pale skin. She really didn't want to get up. The distress of losing her job was enough to ward her off from the painful reality of the world forever. She couldn't imagine how other people could fire someone here and there without thinking about it ten times. Tripping over something and spilling cups of coffee were very common mistakes among workers nowadays and she was only one of them. So it wasn't actually about ineffectiveness, it was in fact the authenticity that she was after all a human.

She sighed. Of course she knew she was lying. Breaking tables, goblets and photocopy machines were in no way a common scenario in office hours. But anyone could make mistakes every now and then. Once…twice…thrice. But then again, she just had _a lot_ of them. She had to move on, she decided. All she had to do was find another job and do her best to get the lustrous promotion she had ever wanted.

Opening her puffy eyes from last night's commotion, she got up…

She gasped and fell flat on her back as soon as it ensued. Her eyes went wide as she was sure that she _felt_ a hand on her stomach. Andthe odd thing was…it wasn't hers. She shook her head and closed her eyes trying to pull herself together.

Now that she tried to ignore it, she could actually sense that someone was beside her- purring silently. She opened her brown eyes to confirm if it wasn't hallucination or the whisky or the frustration. And sure, there was indeed a guy beside her. Her eyes regarded the place widening in the process as she came to a realization that she wasn't in Tomoka's room but in a beautiful and large suite that could fit _Hulk_ himself inside.

Moreover, the guy was still asleep, giving her occasional caresses on her bare shoulder that sent electric shocks down her spine.

Sakuno took a deep breath to get rid of the growing panic inside her. Slowly, she attempted to lift the bed sheets off her only to find out that she was completely undressed. Her throat tightened and she couldn't find her voice to say anything, to reprimand him or to scream for help. Her head was spinning in circles as she tried to recall how on earth she ended up sleeping with him. She drank a lot the night before but it wasn't like she could sleep walk and do the things that she couldn't imagine she could be doing…_ever_. Or so she thought. Now she couldn't even be sure if she did the one night stand willingly.

_Oh my…_

She tried to release herself away from him but the man next wouldn't just give in, producing occasional grunts of complaints as the way he held her waist got tighter and tighter. She couldn't see the man's face, his head was snuggled lower on her shoulders and she couldn't risk moving, afraid that she might wake him up. All she could see was his tousled, soft and dark green hair. She couldn't even see the rest of his body. It was covered up with the bed sheets and said sheets were covering hers as well.

Sakuno couldn't believe it. She wouldn't claim that she was the most innocent woman in the face of the earth but making love with a man, a complete stranger no less, was an absurd idea and she wanted to slap herself for doing the said detested idea.

"This can't be happening…" she whispered in denial.

What would her deceased grandmother say about this?

_Alright_, she encouraged herself, she _had _to clear things with this man. And by faith, she gave him a slight nudge.

"A-Anou…" she uttered awkwardly.

The upsetting thing was the fact that the man didn't give an effort to wake himself up. She tried again and nudged him, more forceful this time.

And he groaned.

He _only_ groaned.

Sakuno frowned; the man sure was making things hard for both of them. Her body was already numb from her unmoving position and he was there, nuzzled comfortably beside her body.

She coughed and wished that it would wake him up.

And the man laughed derisively.

He was _laughing_.

And she couldn't see why.

"Morning," he whispered, nibbling her left ear as he continued further to her jaw line down to her neck.

Sakuno could feel the muscles of her face tighten, it wasn't bizarre…he had taken advantage of her. "Pe-Pervert!" she screamed, swatting him off her with a pillow, as tears kept streaming down her closed eyes.

"O-Oi! Oi! Stop it!" the man tried to stop her helplessly, futilely avoiding every hit from her.

"G-Go away!" Sakuno couldn't stop herself even if the man was already ten feet away. She pushed back the damp hair off her face as she spoke, "D-D-Don't touch m—" her sentence was cut midway when she finally saw who her harasser was… the man she couldn't imagine to be with…

"Echizen Ryoma?" she asked disbelievingly.

**...To be continued**

**0.0**

**Date Submitted: December 22, 2009**


	2. The Night Before

--

"Echizen Ryoma?" she asked disbelievingly.

**Chapter 2: The Night Before**

Sakuno could only stare at the suite's brown, plain walls, her mouth gaped in shock. It had already been fifteen minutes and her mind was still in complete disarray trying to understand what situation she was in. Realizing that _she_ trespassed in _his _room didn't help her. There was no way she could prove the innocence that she claimed.

He is _the _Echizen Ryoma. No one would ever believe a Ryuuzaki Sakuno. She wouldn't wonder if theywould think that _she _molested him, or accuse her of being the theft or something, not to mention her sudden outbursts when she outrageously hit him with a pillow. He would be surely charging her for anythingin no time. The whole world would know she was convicted and her life would be a complete mess.

Not that it wasn't messy on its own.

Everything was sardonically _great_. She lost her job and virginity within forty-eight hours and now she could be prosecuted due to her unlawful act and legal responsibility of intrusion into another person's property.

She would haveto say sorry before things could get any worse, before he could sue her. There would be no harm in trying. She would say that she didn't remember a thing about last night and whatever it was – that she probably wouldn't want to recall – would doubtlessly be an utter mistake. She could also add that she was a big fan of him. Maybe it would change his mind or soften his heart. He would then decide to just forget about it and after that, she would see him no more.

A dejected sigh escaped her lips. Her plan was too low. He would think that she was a foolish, young, desperate and depressed woman who would allow any man to have her in one night and free him without letting him pay the consequences the next morning.

But she had no choice.

He _was_ powerful.

But then again, she had to fight for her rights.

She felt herself panic as she found no answer — whatever that could relieve her.

With a deep breath, she took the risk to glance at the man who she found sitting at a couch adjacent to the bed. He was holding a cup of coffee, watchingher_ intently_ with an amused expression on his eyes she couldn't be sure.

"A-Anou," she muttered nervously as she fiddled with the sheets, her face slightly flushed.

"Hn?"

What was happening to her?

She was acting rather strange like a teenager fidgety in front of her crush. The truth was she didn't have the slightest idea that Echizen Ryoma could be this handsome in person. Even though she abhorred whatsoever that was related to the word 'perfect' or 'successful' the night before, which includes the tennis player himself, she just couldn't stop herself from getting distracted by him being half-naked.

And speaking of the night before…

Her eyes widened as the memory occurred to her.

**0.0**

_The news of losing her job came to her the day before and she had already been crying all night. They said that she was almost a complete failure and that they needed someone who could be an asset for the company. One of her colleagues even teased that she was two letters off so she couldn't be one. The mere memory could send her to instant tears._

_She walked along the streets, catching a lot of curious stares from the passers-by. Sakuno wouldn't dare to wonder. Her face was so worn out. She hadn't eaten since the night before, her face was pale, her eyes were all too red, and her lips too dry. She hadn't even made an effort to face the mirror and smooth her hair down._

_She wasn't really the person to go to extremes as to not eat anything, hadn't it only if they fired her properly. But then again, they just had to insult every piece of her, trample her ego and even accentuate the fact that she couldn't be a company's asset. It was as if she hadn't done anything at all, and the sad point was the thought that she had given her very best._

_Sakuno stared awestruck at the splendid building. __Park Hyatt Tokyo Hotel,__ one of the world's best business hotels, an elegant oasis of space and calm that offers spectacular views…Tokyo's vibrant __business __and __entertainment__ district. (1) Right, this was for businesslike people, for the professionals, for the assets of company. She sighed, and this was where her friend was currently staying. Sometimes, she couldn't refrain herself from comparing or even get a little envious. Just because she was a klutz meant that she couldn't be a qualified worker. How unfair was that?_

"_Excuse me?" Sakuno asked the woman at the reception area. _

_The woman welcomed her amiably with a smile, "Yes ma'am? Can I help you?" _

"_I'm meeting my friend here, her name is Osakada Tomoka. Can you please check what room she's in?" she said, giving a weak smile in return._

"_Of course ma'am, can I have your name please?" the woman inquired further._

"_Ryuuzaki, my name is Ryuuzaki Sakuno."_

_With this, the woman dialed on the phone adjacent to her and said when the receiver answered, "Ma'am your friend Ryuuzaki Sakuno is here," she was silent for a few moments as the person on the other line spoke._

"_All right, Ma'am," she said now talking to Sakuno as she put the phone down. "Her room is in 128, at 11__th__ floor." _

"_Room 128," she repeated as she dragged herself toward the elevator._

_But even before the doors closed, an outlandish looking man and a seductive, beautiful woman entered…smooching. Sakuno almost laugh at fate's humor. First, the receptionist was outright cheerful, not cooperating with her gloomy world. Now, a man with big coat, hat and sunglasses carefully covering his identity and a gorgeous woman who barely had clothing at all together, with her- a hopeless person who didn't take a bath because she lost her job- in an elevator. And they were kissing. Wow, she was thrilled. _

"_What are you looking at?" said the gorgeous woman when she finally let go._

_Sakuno's eyes broadened in surprise, she actually noticed her, "Nothing," she whispered back, embarrassed to be caught staring. _

_And just when the atmosphere tensed, they reached the 11__th__ floor. _

_Definitely saved by the bell. She couldn't believe that she still had her luck. For the first time of the day, she smiled at the woman who seemed to be irritated by her unfitting reaction. _

"_Oh! I'm here," she said, louder than she intended it to be, and stride past them._

"_Bitch," she heard the woman cursed before the doors closed._

"_Right," Sakuno shrugged and continued towards room 128._

_Arriving at Tomoka's suite she knocked thrice and called, "Tomo-chan?" _

_She heard sudden crashing sounds and Tomoka's booming voice greeted her from inside. Not long after, the door was opened revealing her friend's astonished face. "I'm sorry for the long wait, I tripped over something so…Sakuno-chan? What happened?" she blabbed as she led Sakuno's frame at the centre of the room. _

"_You look very horrible," she continued, touching and examining Sakuno's face._

_Sakuno sighed, Tomoka's comments were unhealthy. _

"_Okay, I know that's unflattering," Tomoka backtracked. "Really, what happened to you? Are you on drugs?" _

"_Tomo-chan…" _

_Tomoka laughed, "I was kidding!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry," the brown-haired girl spoke, figuring that she wasn't in any way funny. _

"_Can I sleep here?" _

"_Of course!" she stood up and poured a glass of water, handing it to Sakuno. "I'm really sorry for leaving you alone in the apartment. My boss wanted me to deal with someone," she informed. "So…mind telling me what happened? You appear so upset." _

_Sakuno wasn't aware that she was already crying. Tomoka's presence made her want to blurt everything out, "The company," she said with a sob, "…fired me."_

_Tomoka's eyes widened, "I'm sorry. Come, let me give you a hug," she said comfortingly and spread her arms._

_Sakuno launched herself, her tears running heavily, "They said I'm a complete failure," she said crying louder, telling her friend every single thing that the company said and all the frustration that was eating her up. She knew she was so lucky to have Tomoka there to share her misery._

_Feeling her distress, Tomoka offered to go to a restaurant, drink something and feed Sakuno's empty stomach that they ended up in an elegant, Japanese restaurant called Kozue (2)._

"_Echizen Ryoma won another match?" she overheard one of the girls from the adjacent table. _

"_The champion and the drop-dead gorgeous prodigy," another girl added animatedly in a matter-of-fact tone. "And they said that he'll be here!" _

_She wanted to shoo the girl away. So she was dismissed from her job and someone named Echizen Ryoma who won some game with undeniably good looks was in the same hotel. And what? She couldn't prevent herself but assume that they were purposely comparing her to the super star…or whatever he was called. She was tired of hearing the success and perfection of others; she wanted to hear hers too. She only wished for another chance but haplessly, fate just hated her._

"_B-But still, why me?" she asked almost whining, taking another swig of whiskey. "I did my best but I was expelled?" _

_After a couple of bottles, Tomoka had finally decided that they should get going. Sakuno was already drunk enough and she was starting to get a bit of hazardous for the other costumers. She was giggling to herself madly and talking to random people nearby, mentioning odd topics such as stars, cactus, elephant charms and… Echizen Ryoma. _

_Tomoka tried to lift her from her chair but Sakuno stubbornly wanted to stay. She was beginning to think that letting her drink wasn't the best idea after all._

"_Sakuno-chan?" Tomoka's worried voice rung in Sakuno's head, but she decided to ignore her, "I'll just leave you here for a bit all right? I'll just get…some help. And don't leave here," she said though she knew she wasn't listening. "Sakuno-chan, don't leave," she repeated._

_Finally, she nodded and Tomoka felt herself relax. Reluctantly, she left her hiccupping and flushing friend._

**0.0**

_The next thing Sakuno knew was being inside the elevator. She guessed she slept inside for a couple of minutes but fortunately, she heard the elevator doors open. So she struggled to lift herself up and stepped out the elevator wobbling. _

_She didn't even bother to look what floor she was. All she could think was how dizzy she was and that badly she needed rest._

'_Where's Tomo-chan anyway?' she asked herself, frowning as she thought that even her best friend decided to leave her._

_Frustrated, the tipsy went to random rooms, knocking and laughing after finding out that it wasn't the correct one. She was rather surprised on how she acted herself but she felt light and happy despite her previous misfortunes. Whiskey, she decided, was a great help._

"_Is this my room?" she asked as she banged the door, the eighth door she came across. "Tomo-chan? If you're there, please answer me." _

_But the door wouldn't open. She tried knocking yet again and when no one answered she then opted to go away but with one last loud blow on said door that she put all her anger._

'_Hmph!' she thought smugly and turned her back ready to leave. _

_Her brows creased as her head throb. The place was little unstable that the paint on the walls were blurry, making her headache worse. She wondered why it wasn't unstable and blurry when she entered here earlier. _

_But just when her feet started to carry her to God-knows-where, the door of the room where Sakuno had been incessantly knocking earlier opened._

"_Hey!" a woman's voice called in an irritated tone. "You think you'll just get away when you purposely interrupted my happy time, biatch?"_

'_Happy time?' Sakuno thought innocently walking backwards to face the fuming woman._

_That was when she realized that the face of the woman seemed familiar to her. _

"_So, we meet again," the words of the woman were frightening that Sakuno felt to retrieve back._

_She was the woman from the elevator._

_Although her instincts told her to shoo herself away, she still asked, "Is this my room?" _

_The woman scoffed at her, her eyes almost puffing out of her sockets, "Are you kidding me?" _

_Sakuno thought that she wasn't so she shook her head, "I'm kind of lost," she replied._

"_Ne," this time, it was a man's voice who called her attention. _

"_Si-Sir?" the woman, who was enraged a while ago suddenly softened under the man's stare. _

"_Is this my room?" Sakuno intruded, her eyes pleading that they answer her. "I'm kind of lost and my head is really aching," she tried explaining, even using hand gestures as if they would help her. _

_The woman narrowed her eyes, glaring at Sakuno openly, "I told you—" she was about to answer but her words were cut of sharply when her "sir" pushed her aside._

"_Are you tired?" he asked, hauling himself closer and Sakuno couldn't help but answer with nothing but a nod._

_She couldn't really do anything. His eyes were hypnotic. _

"_Do you want to sleep here?" he further asked, his right hand caressing her face and his left grabbing her waist._

_He was so…seductive and tempting._

"_Ye-Yes," she muttered innocently her eyes widening when she felt his lips pressed hers, widening more to see the gorgeous woman mutter curses as she retreated to the room._

_When she finally came back, her way of dressing was way decent than it was before, "I'll kill you for this," she whispered dangerously and then turned her attention to the seductive man. _

"_Sir, I'll just return tomorrow," despite herself being angry at Sakuno, she still forced a smile to the man._

"_Here," he said handing her a small piece of paper which Sakuno recognized as a check—a blank check._

_Her eyes widened, her gaze darting from the man to the woman and to the blank check. A blank check meant that she could name how much money she needed._

'_Why is he paying her anyway?' Sakuno thought as she watched the exchange between them._

"_Don't bother yourself to come over," he continued, smirking, "…you're fired."_

_She didn't know what's that suppose to mean but she guessed it didn't matter anymore. The point was she finally found her room._

"_Shall we?" he asked suggestively._

_Sakuno smiled happily, at long last she would get the rest that she wanted._

_But even before they entered the room, the woman clutched to the man's arm desperately, "But you just hired me!" she exclaimed, tears slipping her eyes._

_Sakuno wanted to comfort her but stopped herself when she found the woman throwing deathly glares at her. So instead of saying anything she merely looked at the man beside her who swatted the beautiful woman's hand away and closed the door behind him._

_Not fully comprehending what was happening, Sakuno chose to ask the matter that concerned her, "Where's Tomo-chan?"_

_The man smirk, closing the gap between them, "You'll see her soon," he said and captured her lips yet again._

_Sakuno, who found it difficult to fight back, let herself be consumed by the man's intoxicating scent as she parted her lips and kiss him in return…closing her eyes as he carried her towards the bed. _

_The rest…was black after that._

**0.0**

That man was _him_, Echizen Ryoma. How dare he take advantage of her?

She felt nothing but pure disgust when she returned her attention towards him, the prince whom everybody looked up to. She beg to disagree, this man was by no means a prince. If he was, then he would destroy the gentlemanly character that she often read in fairytales.

Ryoma, who noticed her glare, stood up and approached her.

"Do you remember everything?" he asked playfully.

In spite of her anger, she still felt nervous when he closed the proximity between them.

"W-Who would want to remember such thing?" she whispered to herself, her brows creasing as she evaded his probing scrutiny.

'_He still has the nerve to flirt with me?' _

"Hm?"

She wanted to bark and lecture him about things that men weren't permitted to do to women–things that he should never do even if he was the drop-dead gorgeous tennis player that every female species was talking about. Her hands were itching to slap his face for doing this to her. Not just for her but for the previous women that he victimized. She wanted to fight for their rights and make the man in front of her realize that he should stop sexually harassing women when they were drunk.

But it was a shame that she couldn't do any of these, she was much too afraid that Ryoma would turn the tables on her, "I-I don't remember anything," she replied.

"Really, huh?" he answered, his eyes filled with amusement as he watched her continued squirming uncomfortably in her place.

"We-Well, I'll be going then," she said suddenly, carrying the covers with her, her knees trembling as she stood up to find her clothes.

"Ne," he said, holding her in place. "You lost your job didn't you?"

'_What does he want?' _She turned back to face him, "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm offering you a job," he replied as he picked up his shirt from the carpeted floor.

Her eyes went confused though she said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"Be my secretary," he proposed wearing the same irresistible smirk that he had last night.

**...To be continued**

--

**Date Published: December 24, 2009 (Happy Birthday Echizen Ryoma!)**

**A/N:**

(1) Tokyo Pratt Hotel – to make the story more plausible, I decided to choose an existing hotel. By the way, I don't own the description of the said hotel, please don't sue! Just check their official website for further details.

(2) Kozue is a Japanese restaurant found inside Tokyo Pratt Hotel.

I'll try to find the link where I got these information so you'll know :D

Thank you for reading. Comments would be wonderful.


	3. Name Your Price

"Be my secretary," he proposed wearing the same irresistible smirk that he had last night.

**Chapter 3: Name Your Price**

Sakuno wasn't a gullible person. Or so she thought. But after Ryoma's proposition, she was already aware that further involvement with the tennis prodigy was simply dangerous. Even before his tempting suggestion, actually.

However, she still couldn't comprehend how she ended up saying 'yes' and agreeing that they meet up again in his room later that afternoon. She still couldn't understand why no matter how scared she was whenever she remembered last night's incident, she let herself be influenced by his proposal. Thus, she fell to his trap and found herself a new job- Ryoma's secretary.

Try as she might to hide it, she was really curious as to how the prince had come to the conclusion that she was jobless. A drunken woman sure wouldn't be technically unemployed. Quite the opposite in fact since jobless people were supposed to be financially challenged who wouldn't afford to go inside an ostentatious Japanese restaurant and drink as merrily as they could.

Another thing bugged her though. It was really a wonder to her why it was her, of all people, did Ryoma chose to his secretary. Not that she was demeaning her skills but she was just being skeptical about the deal and shefound it not too normal that he hired her without even requiring that she submit a resume.

He hadn't seen her work for her previous company that was for sure. In fact, she was under no illusion that he would hire her if he did witness her past performances. True (she thought) she was hardworking, but the characteristic wouldn't manifest itself in first glance, would it? Her being jobless did not necessarily utter that he would have to employ her, either. Or maybe it did.

"Sakuno-chan, are you even listening?"

It was one of Tomoka's long talks. She had been reprimanding her for the whole thirty minutes (still counting) and it was certainly unhelpful. Her head was aching enough, overwhelmed by the scary fact that she did slept with a stranger and by the liquor that she took the night before. She didn't know if Tomoka was just completely enraged that she didn't realize that it was frightening Sakuno as much as it frightened her.

To hear the same thing wasn't exactly comforting. All throughout her friend's speech, she could surmise that there was only one thing she was pointing out. And more importantly, Sakuno made it to a point that she knew that what she did was wrong. Really, if she could, she would have turned back the time just to avoid it. But it was clean and simple that she wasn't a god to time leap. What happened…happened. As irresponsible as she sounded, it was the painful reality.

"Tomo-chan…" she trailed.

The worse was the fact that she hadn't even told Tomoka about the whole secretary thing. Although it was touching to see her friend worry so much about her, it kind of scared her what it would do to Tomoka when she would finally inform her that she would be spending more time with the tennis prince.

Their confrontation was interrupted when short noises thudded through the door.

Before Sakuno could have a made a move, Tomoka was already up and moving to the door's whereabouts, opening it with such force that could have disengaged the door from its hinge.

"Who are—"

To Sakuno's surprise, Tomoka wasn't able to blabber when she finally found who their intruder was. It was Echizen Ryoma himself, posing rather seductively, his left arm by the doorframe to support his weight.

"You're…the…who…uhm…Sakuno— uhm…did it?" Tomoka said incoherently, flushing slightly as she helplessly looked at Sakuno.

Sakuno, who somewhat miraculously made something from Tomoka's sudden inability to speak properly, nodded to answer her inquiry. It was really amazing how Ryoma's appeal could do that to women.

"Can I borrow her?" he asked, pointing to Sakuno who was sitting rigidly on the couch.

Tomoka didn't answer but continue to block the prince's path. It was then that Sakuno realized that her friend wasn't flushing red because she was embarrassed in the presence of Ryoma but was…fuming.

"Borrow! What do you mean borrow?" Tomoka exclaimed, the pitch of her voice getting incredulously higher. "My friend here, you see, isn't a prostitute…in case you haven't noticed."

Ryoma had no words.

"To-Tomo-chan, it's not what you're thinking," Sakuno tried to explain helplessly.

"Look, if you think we're afraid of you," Tomoka said, ignoring Sakuno's comment. "I'm afraid that you have to think twice."

Where Tomoka got the courage to go against Ryoma, Sakuno had no idea.

Ryoma smirked, "Heh…are you regretting it because your friend got me first?"

_The nerve._

After all he did, he still have the face to provoke Tomoka to sue him.

"You can't prove your friend's innocence," he said, he was so sure. "I _did_ ask permission."

Sakuno felt like a pail of ice was poured over her. He _asked _permission. _And _she agreed. She felt her knees trembling as she risked a glance to the direction of her friend who was, expectedly, as shocked as she was.

"She entered my room," he continued, his expression screaming visibly how he enjoyed tormenting the women in front of him. "You get the picture?" he asked mockingly.

"You took advantage of her," Tomoka hissed accusingly, her knuckles turning white.

"But it doesn't change the fact that _she _knocked on _my_ door," he replied and removed himself from his prior stance and gently shoved the brown-haired girl who was currently obstructing him from his target.

"Get up," he ordered, now talking to Sakuno. "By the way," he suddenly called, addressing Tomoka. "She agreed to be my secretary."

Sakuno's eyes shut close as she passed her numbed friend on the doorway.

**0.0**

If there was one thing that would amuse Echizen Ryoma, it would have to be women. Women who wouldn't pray for another night with him. Women who would scream when they woke up the next morning with him not because the idea excited them but because they were solely surprised. Women who would think twice when he offered that they accompany him. And that was what exactly the girl on his right did.

In fact, _he _was clearly surprised when she didn't haul herself all over him the moment she realized he was Echizen Ryoma. She belonged to the population of women who were simply…crazy about him. He just found it odd that _she_ wasn't. As egotistical as he sounded, it was the truth.

It was sort of an experiment but he decided to offer her the job and keep her because she somehow interested him. Not in a romantic way, of course but it was a matter of entertaining himself with something new.

The past few weeks hadn't been as interesting as it had been before. Precisely speaking, the time when he finally recognized the existence of women in the world. He really thought that his new found object of amusement would at least last for years but it plainly didn't.

As the time passed, he realized that women weren't entertaining him anymore but rather becoming a real heavy burden and obligation. And last night concluded how tired he was of women who all wanted was merely physical pleasure. Just as he thought, they weren't that attractive.

But this woman, he had to remind himself to know her name later, was quite different. The truth was…nothing really happened between them. She was just naked when she woke up the next morning and assumed everything, much to her horror though. All they actually did that night was talk about her hopeless career.

True, he did saw her body (he purposely stripped her anyway, albeit his main goal was just to tease her) but just like every women, he never intended to make commitments. And well, pregnancy wasn't closely ideal.

"Ne," he called, making her almost jump in surprise. "Tell me your name."

She blushed, it was a surprise to him that by merely asking her name he could make her blush, but averted her eyes and did not answer.

She didn't want to tell him her name. He grinned, the girl never ceased to amaze him. _Normally_, any other girl would tell him straight ahead and plea him that he remember them. This was getting really exciting for him.

"Your Tomo friend," he said nonchalantly. "I'm acquainted with her boss," her ears perked up but she still remained silent.

"I hear their company isn't doing well," he continued.

Odd, he was never talkative with women around.

But she glared, might as well continue with his game, "I suggest that he fires the useless employees."

"I'm Ryuuzaki," she said almost inaudibly. "Ryuuzaki Sakuno," she repeated infuriatingly.

He won. He smirked at the thought. He _loves _winning.

"So Ryuuzaki," he called and tugged her by the wrist as he grabbed her closer by the waist. "Don't you think your friend's quite an asset to her company?"

Her eyes indicated how uncomfortable she was at their present compromising position, her curled knuckles showed how she detested the idea but at the same time, her blushing face displayed that she somehow enjoyed the thought. He wondered how many emotions were there; his mind marveling if other of her body parts could demonstrate such expressions.

"The couch is comfortable don't you think?" he said suggestively.

She closed her eyes suddenly, her hands trembling.

He almost laughed as the situation dawned on him. She _was_ scared.

"It's not like I'm going to rape you or something," he whispered as he released her.

The mere thought just seemed so preposterous itself. He wouldn't want himself to be involved with some ditzy, childish and inexperienced little girl like her, would he? Not that he was experienced himself, mind you.

"I'll be attending a party, you'll be my date."

"I thought I'm your secretary?" her sudden innocent inquiry surprised him. And here he thought she was going to cry at the mere thought of him laying her on the bed.

"I'm the boss, I make the rules," he said as he stood up. "If I said you're my date, then you are."

"How much is my salary?" she asked with a huff as she raised a brow.

"Name your price," was his reply before proceeding outside.

Then it hit her.

_The blank check._

…**To be continued**


End file.
